- 2x
Hot days are expected to double by mid-century
- Tropical nights
to increase
- 2025-ongoing
Implementation timeline
Replicability
The Maribor heat action plan is built for transfer: its modular nature can be replicated across European cities facing increasing heat risks. Its strength lies in a modular structure, combining low-cost measures with scalable interventions, and in a co-design approach that actively involves local stakeholders.
Best suited for
This approach is well suited to mid-sized cities in temperate and Mediterranean climate zones, where the number and intensity of hot days are increasing. It is especially relevant for cities with vulnerable populations, such as ageing communities or high proportions of outdoor workers, and where heat governance is still emerging or fragmented. The model is highly applicable across central and southern Europe, but can also be adapted to other regions experiencing similar trends.
Stakeholders' role
The plan is built on a multistakeholder governance structure, bringing together a municipal climate or environmental department with key sectors such as public health, education, urban planning and social services. Civil society organisations play a central role in community outreach and engagement, while the private sector contributes through innovation, service provision and infrastructure solutions. Each role is clearly defined, making the model easily transferable to equivalent institutions in other cities, while maintaining flexibility for local adaptation.
Built-in scalable tools
The approach is supported by practical tools and mechanisms that facilitate replication and upscaling. Peer-to-peer exchange enables cities to share experiences, methodologies and lessons learned. The use of open-source communication materials, awareness campaigns and vulnerability mapping methodologies allows other cities to directly reuse and adapt these resources without significant additional investment. The modular structure of the plan also enables cities to start with priority actions and progressively expand their interventions over time.
Funding pathways
The Maribor heat mitigation plan demonstrates how different funding sources can be combined into a coherent financial strategy. It integrates EU funding streams supporting local resilience projects with municipal budget allocations dedicated to implementation and maintenance. This blended approach ensures both initial investment capacity and long-term financial sustainability, while offering a model that other cities can replicate by aligning European, national and local funding opportunities. Initial estimates of costs for long-term measures, including investments in buildings, greening, maintenance, at time of publication (2026), amount to 253 million €. Cost estimates for some of the short-term measures to be started and maintained on yearly basis amount to 275 000 €.
